Joint Legislative Ethics Committee

Office of the Ohio Legislative Inspector General

EthicsFinancial DisclosureLobbying

2014 PGA Memorial Tournament Lobbying And FDS Reporting Guidance

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In years past, the OLIG issued annual guidance relative to lobbying and financial disclosure reporting of Memorial Tournament admission badges (tickets).  To facilitate accurate and uniform reporting, former guidance would ascertain a standardized daily ticket value based on information provided by the Tournament.  Due to the increasing types of ticket packages; each with differing price levels and access to otherwise restricted areas of the course, establishing a standard ticket value is no longer feasible.

As with all ticketed events, the reportable value of a daily 2014 Memorial Tournament ticket is the fair market value of the particular ticket provided.  The OLIG reminds lobbyists and their clients, as well as legislators and staff, of the following:

  • Over the course of a calendar year, legislators and staff are prohibited from accepting more than $75 in aggregated gifts and $75 in aggregated meals and beverages from a particular lobbyist.
  • A lobbyist or employer of a lobbyist who provides a legislator or FDS filer a Memorial Tournament ticket(s) valued at more than $25 must report the recipient as accepting a gift on the lobbyist’s/employer’s Activity & Expenditure Report for the May – August 2014 reporting period; the recipient must be sent a Non-Disputed Notice at least 10 days prior to filing the report.
  • A legislator or FDS filer who accepts a Memorial Tournament ticket(s) valued at more than $75 (or $25 if from a lobbyist) must disclose the source of the ticket(s) on their 2014 Financial Disclosure Statement.
  • The value of a ticket provided to a legislator’s spouse/family member is attributable to the legislator unless the spouse/family member has an independent relationship with the ticket source.

Corporate entities and other groups who employ lobbyists that intend to host a hospitality event (which does not include a Tournament ticket) and to which all members of the General Assembly are invited should contact the OLIG at 614-728-5100 to discuss reporting requirements.

PDF: 2014 Memorial Tournament Guidance